Uncle Ed
by Lon Wolfgood
Summary: A series of drabbles based on The Waiting Family [you should read that first so it makes sense]. Mostly Edward centric, with hints of AlWin, Royai and some minor EdSheska.
1. Chapter 1

**Uncle Ed**

**by Ragond**

**Notes:** This is a drabble series, based on the story "The Waiting Family". This is the first time I do drabbles, though... Some follow a time-line, but it's easy to guess it. For now, I'm not using a theme list. If I ever do, I'll tell you.

**1. Leaving**

When he announced that he was going to Central, to see how things were going in the Military, they were worried that he was angry at them. Edward simply laughed and hugged them both, telling them not to worry about such things.

He had only been with them for two weeks, and already he was restless. Even helping his brother to water the field hadn't done anything to change his boredom.

Edward left one morning, promising to write or call whenever he could. As he walked away from the house, he could see the three of them waving at him. He smiled as he understood. That was his family.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Military**

Roy Mustang was now General, but somehow remained in the same facility, with the same team, including Armstrong. And the same stern, but gentle Riza Hawkeye by his side, scolding him every time he slacked off.

Needless to say, the General wasn't surprised about the Fullmetal's return. Instead, he had Fuery and Falman drop two large piles of papers in front of him. A smirk formed on Mustang's face as he watched Edward groan and glare at him.

"There are still more papers for you to work on, but consider those piles a _welcome gift_"

Suddenly, Edward realized he missed his family.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Happy news**

It was an emergency, Fuery had told him, when he ran up to the military's phone room. He picked up the handset and asked who he was talking to. It was Alphonse, and million things went through his mind at once. Was Winry ok? What happened to Maes? Is _he_ ok? He hadn't heard about them for months...

"Well, um... The family's getting bigger soon!" He sounded very happy, and Edward suppressed a sigh. His little brother was slowly turning into a rabbit. But why did he feel so happy?

"When is the baby coming?"

"Well, the doctor said three months..." Alphonse replied. "Will you come and see the baby when it's born?"

Edward snorted. "Ready the couch in two months, Al"


	4. Chapter 4

**4. Best friend**

It was the first time for Edward to witness the process of giving birth by Winry. It seemed awkward, out of place... He never expected to see something like that. But what also amazed him was how Alphonse was so calm and mature about the situation.

Winry asked him if he'd let her hold his automail hand, and he nodded. Alphonse looked grateful, while rubbing his own hand. He could concentrate on assisting his wife.

"Now I don't feel so guilty" Winry confessed between gasps. Edward blinked at her. "For squashing Al's hand" She explain with a soft chuckle.

"That's what friends are for" Edward smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**5. Sarah**

When the baby was born, Edward had left the room almost instantly, leaving the parents alone to enjoy their new child. But he also needed some rest.

The next day, he stood at the door of Al and Winry's room, looking at the mother and child. She looked up at him and smiled, then gestured for him to go closer. Hesitantly, he did, and was offered to hold the baby.

"It's a girl" She said softly, and he looked at the child. He was uneasy, afraid to hurt her. A lot of emotions went through his mind as he looked at the baby. "We named her Sarah, like my mother"

"Hey, Sarah..." The older Elric said in a soft voice. "It's me, Uncle Ed" The baby didn't understand, of course, but he didn't care.


	6. Chapter 6

**6. Tiny Eddy**

Sarah shared a special bond with Edward, that he knew well. And whenever he could, he would visit her and the family. It wasn't his style to bring them gifts. For the little, three-year-old girl, a visit was a great enough gift.

One time, though, he brought with him a small puppy. It looked much like Black Hayate, the dog of the Military, and Ed confessed it was one of Hawkeye's ideas.

The first thing the little girl did was to name it: Eddy. When asked why, she blurted out: "Because he's short like Uncle Ed"

Ed sighed as his brother and Winry chuckled. "Well" Alphonse had said. "At least she didn't call it _Tiny_"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes:** At the time of posting this whole drabble series, I had finished 12 of them, some include hints of Royai. However, as stated in the summary, it all centers around Edward Elric as "Uncle Ed". 

**7. Fraternization**

Edward snickered as Hawkeye scolded the General again. And wondered if they knew it made them look suspicious. As far as he knew, the anti-fraternization law was still in force.

So, one day, he quietly approached them and asked in the most innocent tone he could manage: "You two _are_ aware that you look like a married couple, right?"

It was then clear to Edward why no one had ever said anything about it. He reminded himself not to ask those things, unless he wanted to be lit up like a piece of wood and shot like a moving target.


	8. Chapter 8

**8. Secluded**

At Central, his work-mates would try to get him dates. Mustang had told him that since Havoc had gotten himself a girlfriend years ago, the others were bored and needed to pair up someone else.

When asked why not get dates for Fuery or Breda, the General snickered: "They're not as hopeless as you are"

But in none of those dates did he find anyone who he identified with, who would be interesting or who accepted him as he was.

Thinking about it more carefully, Edward realized he didn't need anyone else. Just himself and his job. And, of course, his family.


	9. Chapter 9

**9. Student**

Nine-year-old Sarah had one thing in mind as she saw her Uncle Ed coming home. She would become his alchemy student, no matter what. Her parents didn't want her to become an alchemist, telling her it was too dangerous. But she wouldn't give up, never.

When confronted with the request, before even getting a hug, Edward looked up at his brother. Alphonse and Winry shook their heads in negation. But the look on his niece's face was not something he could say _no_ to... "We'll see what we can do about that..." He grinned, as he picked her up.

**Notes:** I'm going to post all I wrote about this and leave it at that. I have eight more drabbles to post. I was going to write more, but I kind of forgot and got bored of this. :P


	10. Chapter 10

**10. Farm life**

It was funny how both siblings had different tastes. Maes wanted to become an automail mechanic like his mother, and Sarah wanted to become an alchemist like her uncle.

Alphonse had complained that no one wanted to become a farmer, and Sarah said it was a boring job. They all had laughed at that, because it was probably true.

Edward grinned mischievously at his idea, and turned to his niece. "Well, I spoke with your father about teaching you alchemy" The girl suddenly lost interest in what she was doing. "You have to help him out on the farm for two months before I can teach you"

His brother was grateful.


	11. Chapter 11

**11. Lost**

On her first trip to Central with only her uncle, at age five, she had gotten herself lost at the train station. She had cried loudly, afraid of never seeing her parents again.

Many people were dressed in blue uniforms, like her uncle, so it was confusing her.

There was a woman who looked very serious, though. She had brown eyes and blonde hair tied up. Sarah tugged at the woman's uniform.

Sarah sucked at her thumb in shame. "I want my Uncle Ed"

The woman smiled down at her, and picked her up. "I'm going to shoot that irresponsible Elric for leaving you here..." Suddenly, the little girl wondered if talking to this woman had been a good idea.


	12. Chapter 12

**12. A simple question**

Sarah had learnt that the woman who 'rescued' her at the train station was called Riza, and her dog was just like Eddy. The woman had taken care of her during the three days she went to work with Uncle Ed.

There was a man, with a patch on his face, who Riza respected more than anyone else at work, the girl noticed. So, being very curious about the man's intentions on her new friend, she walked up to him, with a determined look.

"Sir" She saluted, since everyone else did so when talking to him. This made him chuckle. "Are you Miss Riza's boyfriend?" Edward had just walked in when he heard his niece, and suppressed a laugh.

Unfortunately for her, the man never answered. He simply smiled down at her and turned around in his chair.


	13. Chapter 13

**13. Friends**

Whenever he went back to Rizenburg, Edward would get asked about Hawkeye and Mustang. It was _a girls' thing_, he supposed. But he always let his niece know if the General had answered her question.

One day, though, she was very surprised when the General himself came to see her. He got out from the car and smirked at her. "Sarah Elric" She instantly saluted. "At ease" She didn't seem to understand that, so Edward whispered that she could relax.

"You asked a question, I bring you my answer" The General paused. "Yes, I am" He simply said, and turned towards the car. "By the way, little girl, you don't have to be formal with us. We're friends"

Riza waved from inside the car and they both drove off. Sarah jumped up and down happily. "Miss Riza has a boyfriend!" Edward snickered, she was as hopeless as Winry sometimes.


	14. Chapter 14

**14. Rivalry**

True. He hadn't seen Maes grow up, he hadn't created a bond with the boy like he did with his niece. He had noticed how the older kid would glare at his sister whenever she was around Edward.

Winry called him, telling him that it was time for another automail tune-up. He was leaving soon, anyway. Nodding, he followed her to the little room where she worked at. Maes followed, determined. "Mom, can I help?"

"I don't know, Maes..." Winry said, frowning as she selected her tools. "You could break the automail"

Edward had smiled. "Don't worry, I trust him"

From that day, Maes and Sarah got along better. And he even joined her and Edward in those games that didn't involve _invisible_ tea parties.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes:** Ok, this is a weird pairing, _I know_. It's not one of my favorites, and I'm not one to write "non-favorite" pairings... But this got written by itself... :P 

**15. Things in common**

He liked books, she liked books. But that was it, he thought. Sheska was a pretty woman, funny, intelligent... She had a great memory! But she simply _wasn't_ his type. No matter if she helped him by writing his reports, kept him up-to-date with his family affairs or made sure he ate and slept enough...

When he came back from a long trip, she was the first to ask him how it went. And not to make a report of it, but because she genuinely cared. It went that way all the time, and as the years passed, he stopped thinking about _types_... He thought about actions.


	16. Chapter 16

**16. Jealousy**

Sarah's smile faded as she saw Uncle Ed returning from Central. Don't get her wrong, she _always_ was happy to see her uncle. But that was the problem. Edward wasn't alone, a young woman walked next to him, but not too close.

"Hey, Sarah!" He called, like usual. But, the girl felt betrayed, and instead of running to his arms, she turned around and ran inside the house. Edward turned to the woman and both shrugged.

Later that night, Sarah walked up to the stranger. "What is your relation with my uncle?" She was very serious as she asked this. The woman smiled and kneeled down.

"I work for him. My name is Sheska" The girl didn't smile, but Sheska didn't falter. "You must be Sarah. Mister Elric always talks about you, he loves you very much"

Curious eyes turned to her Uncle Ed, but he was talking to her father and laughing. Turning back to the woman, she decided... Sheska didn't seem so bad.


	17. Chapter 17

**17. Gift**

It was a day to celebrate with a loved one, people would give each other flowers and chocolate. He didn't think he had someone to celebrate with, so he used the holiday to sleep in his room, at the military dorm.

At four o' clock in the afternoon, there was a knock on the door. He got up grumpily, and opened the door without even caring to put on some pants. "Sheska! What are you doing here?" He suddenly was wide awake, and trying to find his clothes.

The blushing woman took this opportunity to leave something on the floor and run off. He turned around to apologize. "Ok, sorry about..." Ed looked outside, at the hallway, but she wasn't there anymore. When he looked down, his chest warmed up.

It was a lunch box and a small card. _Happy Valentines, Mr. Elric_. Even with a small heart.

**Notes:** And that's all I could write. :P


End file.
